Friday, February 01, 2008

Fathers and Sons: Desiring God's Pastors Conference

I am looking forward to getting on an airplane in a few hours with my son, Joel, for a trip to Minneapolis for Desiring God's annual Pastors Conference. This year the theme is "The Pastor as Father and Son." Sons of pastors are encouraged to join their dads for the conference and Joel was able to work it out with his professors to miss a couple of days of class to take this trip with me.

The DG conferences are always excellent and I am delighted that my son will be joining me for this one. Not only is he missing some classes, he is also missing a basketball game with his homeschool team in order to go with me.

It is not supposed to get above freezing while we are there, so our Florida-thinned blood will undoubtedly be in for a shock. But the opportunity to share with my son in receiving the ministry of God's Word by men like John Piper and D. A. Carson will be worth it.

In honor of the theme of the conference here is a great quote by Thomas Fuller, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, that hangs in my study and has often given me hope for my son:

A Father's Hope and Warning

Lord, I find the genealogy of my Savior strangely checkered with four remarkable changes in four immediate generations. (1) Rehoboam begat Abijah; that is, a bad father begat a bad son. (2) Abijah begat Asa; that is, a bad father begat a good son. (3) Asa begat Jehoshaphat; that is, a good father a good son. (4) Jehoshaphat begat Joram; that is, a good father a bad son. I see, Lord, from hence that my father's piety cannot be entailed; that is bad news for me. But I see also that actual impiety is not always hereditary; that is good news for my son.

I really wish that my dad and I could go. He is a pastor and I am also in the ministry. In fact my wife is the daughter of a pastor also. I can identify with Piper and Carson seeing how they come from ministers family's. I hope that you will blog and fill us in on some of the highlights!